Labour's MP Geraint Davies suspended after allegations of 'completely unacceptable behaviour'

Labour has confirmed that Swansea West MP Geraint Davies has been suspended from the party pending an investigation into reports of “incredibly serious allegations of completely unacceptable behaviour”.

Mr Davies has denied the claims reported by the Politico website but ITV Wales understands a formal complaint has been received.

He has said that he doesn’t recognise the allegations but has apologised if he’s “inadvertently caused offence to anyone.”

However it’s understood that he has been “administratively suspended” from the Labour Party pending an investigation into the allegations reported by Politico. 

That also means that he will have the Labour whip suspended so will sit in the commons as an independent MP during the investigation. 

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “These are incredibly serious allegations of completely unacceptable behaviour. 

“We strongly encourage anyone with a complaint to come forward to the Labour party’s investigation. 

“Any complainant will have access to an independent support service who provide confidential and independent guidance and advice from external experts throughout the process.”

Geraint Davies became the MP for Swansea West in 2010. Prior to that he’d been MP for Croydon central until 2005. 

Mr Davies issued a statement to Politico, that said: “I don’t recognise the allegations suggested and do not know who has made them. None of them, as far as I know, has been lodged as complaints with the Labour Party or parliament.

“If I have inadvertently caused offence to anyone, then I am naturally sorry as it is important that we share an environment of mutual and equal respect for all.”

Another Welsh Labour MP described the allegations as "deeply troubling".

Aberavon MP Stephen Kinnock said: "I really do hope that the women affected will make formal complaints because it's difficult to move into a proper independent inquiry of what's taken place without formal complaints being made.

"We need a proper investigation into this to establish the facts"

"But I'm very pleased that Keir Starmer and our whips have taken very rapid action, suspended membership, which means automatic suspension of the whip as well, pending the investigation.

"We need a proper investigation into this to establish the facts into what took place."

Mr Kinnock also assured the the Labour party has "a robust system in place" to deal with complaints and that "genuinely believes" his party is "committed to rooting out these issues".

While Labour is currently carrying out its own investigation into the claims, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards could also decide to open their own inquiry if they suspects the code of conduct for MPs may have been breached.

It is the latest set of claims made in what has been termed the “Pestminster scandal”, in which allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour have been made against MPs or other senior figures in Parliament in recent years.

ITV Wales has approached Mr Davies for a comment.

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